| 7 | 2 | | |
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| 8 | 3 | | |
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| 9 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 10 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 11 | 6 | | relating to verification of the accuracy of voter registration |
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| 12 | 7 | | applications and voter registration lists. |
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| 13 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 18.068, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 15 | 10 | | read as follows: |
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| 16 | 11 | | Sec. 18.068. COMPARISON OF INFORMATION REGARDING |
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| 17 | 12 | | INELIGIBILITY. (a) The secretary of state shall quarterly compare |
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| 18 | 13 | | the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and |
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| 19 | 14 | | Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized |
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| 20 | 15 | | voter registration list. |
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| 21 | 16 | | (a-1) The secretary of state shall enter into an agreement |
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| 22 | 17 | | with the Department of Public Safety under which information in the |
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| 23 | 18 | | statewide computerized voter registration list is compared against |
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| 24 | 19 | | information in the database of the Department of Public Safety on a |
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| 25 | 20 | | monthly basis to verify the accuracy of information provided on |
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| 26 | 21 | | voter registration applications. The information compared must |
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| 27 | 22 | | include, at a minimum, a voter's: |
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| 28 | 23 | | (1) full legal name; |
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| 29 | 24 | | (2) former name, if applicable; |
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| 30 | 25 | | (3) date of birth; |
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| 31 | 26 | | (4) residence address; |
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| 32 | 27 | | (5) driver's license or state identification card |
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| 33 | 28 | | number; |
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| 34 | 29 | | (6) signature; |
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| 35 | 30 | | (7) social security number; |
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| 36 | 31 | | (8) documentation of lawful presence in this state; |
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| 37 | 32 | | and |
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| 38 | 33 | | (9) citizenship status. |
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| 39 | 34 | | (a-2) If the secretary determines from information received |
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| 40 | 35 | | under Subsection (a) or (a-1) that a voter on the registration list |
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| 41 | 36 | | may be ineligible to vote [is deceased or has been excused or |
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| 42 | 37 | | disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen], |
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| 43 | 38 | | the secretary shall send notice of the determination to the voter |
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| 44 | 39 | | registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary. |
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| 45 | 40 | | (b) The secretary of state shall by rule determine what |
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| 46 | 41 | | information combinations identified as common to a voter and to an |
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| 47 | 42 | | individual who is deceased or ineligible to vote constitute a weak |
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| 48 | 43 | | match or a strong match in order to: |
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| 49 | 44 | | (1) produce the least possible impact on Texas voters; |
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| 50 | 45 | | and |
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| 51 | 46 | | (2) fulfill its responsibility to manage the voter |
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| 52 | 47 | | rolls. |
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| 53 | 48 | | (c) The secretary of state may not determine that a voter is |
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| 54 | 49 | | deceased or ineligible to vote based on a weak match. The |
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| 55 | 50 | | secretary of state may inform the county of the voter's residence |
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| 56 | 51 | | that a weak match exists. |
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| 57 | 52 | | (d) On receiving notification from the secretary of state |
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| 58 | 53 | | under Subsection (c) that a weak match of identifying information |
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| 59 | 54 | | exists for a county voter and an individual who is deceased or |
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| 60 | 55 | | ineligible to vote, the county shall investigate whether the voter |
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| 61 | 56 | | is that [the] individual [who is deceased]. |
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| 62 | 57 | | (e) The secretary of state may determine that a voter is |
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| 63 | 58 | | deceased or ineligible to vote based on a strong match. |
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| 64 | 59 | | (f) The secretary of state may obtain, for purposes of |
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| 65 | 60 | | determining whether a voter is deceased or ineligible to vote, |
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| 66 | 61 | | information from other state agency databases relating to a voter |
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| 67 | 62 | | that is the same type of information that the secretary of state or |
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| 68 | 63 | | a voter registrar collects or stores for voter registration |
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| 69 | 64 | | purposes. |
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| 70 | 65 | | (g) Not later than December 31 of each year, the secretary |
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| 71 | 66 | | of state shall provide a report to the legislature of the number of |
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| 72 | 67 | | voters determined to be ineligible under this section during the |
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| 73 | 68 | | calendar year. The report must include the reason for |
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| 74 | 69 | | ineligibility for each voter. |
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| 75 | 70 | | SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 76 | 71 | | an application to register to vote submitted on or after the |
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| 77 | 72 | | effective date of this Act. |
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| 78 | 73 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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